New details released in sexual assault case

New details have emerged in the case against a couple accused of sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl. Court documents show how the girl came into the care of Alan Johnson and Jennifer Sparks – despite the fact that Johnson is a registered sex offender.

Prosecutors say the North Fort Myers duo took cell phone pictures while they sexually assaulted the four-year-old girl.

Sparks had sent it a text message stating, "This is my boyfriend Alan's phone. It's very important we get the phone back."

The employee was trying to find the phone's owner when she came across the inappropriate pictures on the phone.

According to documents released from the State Attorney's Office - it wasn't just pictures, but videos.

And it wasn't just the one girl, but several unidentified children who were depicted on the phone.

A report from the Polk County Sheriff's Office says the little girl's mother was a friend of Sparks and that Sparks had asked if she and Johnson could watch the girl.

The mother agreed and the couple drove to Orlando to pick her up for a two-week visit.

But the mother then allowed her to stay for a third week. Soon after, that cell phone discovery happened.

Meanwhile, a detective with the Lee County Sheriff's Office was doing regular checks on Johnson – who is a registered sex offender from a 2003 federal child porn conviction.

"In this particular instance, what had happened is the criminal justice world had pretty much played out. This individual had been charged, convicted and had served his time," said Sgt. Stephanie Eller, with the Lee County Sheriff's Office.

The detectives did checks at the home to ensure the sex offender registration was accurate.

"We are looking at that. He did have the right to privacy in his own home, that we didn't have the right to go in there without any probable cause, and anytime we see a case like this it does strike us very deeply," Eller said.